Take The Fall
by Wicked R
Summary: Leo goes completely crazy after Chris' death.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Take The Fall **

Author: Wicked R

**Disclaimers**: characters and the universe belongs to the WB.

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Rating: R

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Genre: angst/friendship

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Summary/Set: at the beginning of season 7, Leo looses it that much that he ends up in purgatory. But he has Cole's help to get out. Warning! Uh, I've done it (sorta again?). Slight Cole/Leo slash.

"You can't bring an old friend into the house right now," Piper pulled her half sister into the kitchen with herself where she was pouring some juice into Wyatt's cup, "you can't think of reviving friendships when Leo is behaving so unpredictably. You don't know when he will release some lightning at a bookcase just because the order of the books annoys him."

"He's not as bad as that," Paige said incredulously. She was more used to Leo staring into a corner for hours at a time.

"He was this morning," Piper sighed, "I can't get through to him and Phoebe's competence at psychology is rather rhetorico-theoretic. And we can't take him to a proper therapist because well, how will the I am an angel comment sound? They'll lock him up, he'll orb out, and we're stuck with the same problem. I thought about it for a long time and I don't see any other way but asking the Elders for help."

"The Elders? I thought you hated them just as much as he does. Besides, they will find out about his second and third kill."

"Yes, but I'm afraid they will find out anyway if he does anymore. And he will, he can't control his exploding powers. They get exponentially stronger day by day. If it goes on like this, he will be invincible just like Cole was. Then what? I do want the Elders to punish him. I really hope they can take his powers away. Even if they lock him up somewhere…"

"Piper?"

"I can't trust him with giving the kids to him for two seconds. In fact, I started to place them as far from him as it is possible. They are upstairs with Phoebe at the moment. I wanna help him Paige, but I'm afraid of him. Sometimes I wonder if he even knows who I am. I wanted to ask you to orb up to the Elders and fill them in, so socialising is not…"

"I wasn't trying to socialise. I believe she is my innocent," Paige nodded towards the sitting room, where they left the visitor in the doubtful company of a rather mute Leo, "she was an old classmate of mines right enough, but we never talked more than two sentences in four years. I would've shown no interest in her now either if it wasn't for the police station I saw her at. Darryl's actually asking us to look into it. Diane is known as the clown. She keeps going back to the station religiously to convince people aliens abducted her. They investigated it and found that nobody could prove anything. They think she makes it up for attention. But I know she isn't. She was one of the most popular girls in school and even if she's not as successful in life as she was before, I really doubt she would make up something like this. She's either gone insane since the last time I saw her, or we have to believe her."

"Since when do you believe in aliens?"

"I don't. I did for a few years during my teenage days, but that's beside the point. She doesn't remember much, but from what she is telling me, the to and fros sound like a shimmer."

"And why would a demon want her for a little while and send her back all the time? It's not like their usual dealings."

"I don't know, but I would like to find out. She claims she can feel when the next abduction will happen and it is tonight. That tells me she would have some kind of powers she doesn't really know about. I told her we won't let anything happen to her today, or anybody harm her again."

"What is your plan?" Piper gave in, although her mind was still clouded over by the troubles of her immediate family. Leo deteriorated a lot in the last few weeks, and never acknowledged they would ever be able to change the future for Christopher, telling from the way Chris used to handle his fellow white lighter father. She tried to convince him of the time travel paradox, but he could wait a few hours if they had some witch work to do. Piper wasn't so keen on committing treachery on her husband even if it was for his own good herself, especially if it had to do with the Elders, it was a last resort.

"Only very powerful demons can do remote control shimmering of others. As far as we know, the underworld is currently lacking such power," Paige started.

"I'm sure somebody will have it by now. The way Leo's powers are escalating, I could imagine anything."

"But a powerful demon, let alone a possible leader would not do his dirty work himself. He would send someone to take Diane to him, and in that case, that particular demon would use cloaking. When my classmate starts to disappear, I suggest you blow the invisible person next to her up. Case solved."

"Or, alternatively, we anger somebody down there and he'll send a bunch of other demons after Diane. But hey, Leo would love that…he needs to place his energy somewhere. Better than him going after them all by himself. Although I'm not so sure about shooting in the dark at demons we don't know what they are capable of."

"Is there any difference to other situations? We never know what they are capable of, whether invisible or not."

"I said I don't work anymore!" They heard Leo's irritated voice from closer than what it should've sounded if he was sitting next to the conservatory, where they saw him closed into himself before they went out for a private talk.

Diane scrunched her eyebrows and was a little bit shaking her head when the sisters went back to join her, "I was just gonna say how they kicked me out from work as well when I couldn't account for my missing hours," she stepped next to Paige decisively, as if wanting to be as far from the man in the room as it was possible, "look, maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea after all. It was nice of you to show some compassion, especially after the way I treated you at school Paige, but I understand that it is hard to take my story seriously. I will not disturb you anymore," she peeped at Leo.

"Maybe you're right," Piper agreed, getting angry looks from Paige for it, "being here is not a good idea, if we want to catch the ones that kidnap you. Mainly because every dem…everybody who would do such thing knows by now that this is our house and it's not very likely they will attack here."

"But on the other hand, there's no risk of exposure here," Paige whispered in her sister's ear.

"No security system can stop them, I can assure you," Diane held, not sure if Paige's older sister or even Paige herself was buying her story at all, not the way they've been quietly talking to each other, apparently about her. They weren't alien fanatics after all, and so she couldn't really trust them, "besides, I know it will happen, I can sense it. I don't assume I'd be able to leave your house in the next minute or so and then you'll maybe able to see I hope…"

"What? The next minute?" Paige took her schoolmate's arm.

"I'm afraid that won't do either," Diane smiled at the gesture, but her eyes thanking her for trying nevertheless when her features started to get unclear with the vibration.

Piper followed her sister's earlier suggestion and aimed her arms at the air at Diane's other side, where presumably the demon should've been. The effect was immediate, the alleged alien abductee restabilised and the figure of a demon started to take shape just to be seen one second before being blown to pieces. But they have not been able to celebrate the small victory, because five other demons materialised immediately one by one, at different parts of the room.

The handsome, dark and young looking demon who appeared next to Diane raised one hand towards the oldest sister, neutralising Piper's attempt to deliver the demon the same fate as the one before received, "the witch is too important for us. Remember, we don't take chances," he grabbed the innocent, while the others formed a demonic wall in front of him.

"Horatio?" Leo took interest for the first time since getting back to his own thoughts after the visitor took the initiative to ask him some polite questions. He snorted, taking a few running steps towards them, then waved his hand with force as if he was giving someone a slap in the face with the back of his hand, making the four defending demons fall on their asses and get swiped to the one side, landing on top of each other so that Leo could look at the noble looking demon in charge of the operation, "you work for Barbas," stated the white lighter matter of factly, but with much determination.

"Not anymo…" The kidnapper managed before Leo's lightning hit him with a force that took the handsome creature all the way back to the wall and ignited him in the chest, burning from the inside out and exploding, vanquishing one more demon in the process and knocking Diane unconscious, with serious burns on her exposed skin.

When the rest of the demons retreated, Paige rushed to her side pulling out her mobile from the holder in her neck and punching in some numbers, not even considering Leo's presence, "hi. My name is Paige Matthews. I need an ambulance to…"

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Thanks," Piper pressed the out button on her wire less, now having time for Paige, who orbed in a minute before, "that was Darryl. If it weren't for him, we would be in serious trouble again. Not that we aren't now…what did the Elders say?"

"It's the work of Sisyphus," Paige gestured.

"I agree. You get rid of one demon, or one leader of the underworld, there comes the other."

"No. I mean it was Sisyphus, the ancient demon himself who wanted Diane taken to harvest her powers. She could've been a powerful witch, if she was identified by us first, and not them. Point is, her powers can keep the stone in place on the top of the mountain."

"What stone?"

"Don't you know the story of Sisyphus? He's into abducting women you know. He once told one of his plans of such thing to Zeus, who punished him with the task of rolling up a stone on some mountain. But once he got the rock up, it always rolled down, so he had to do it all over again. But when it's kept on place by Diane's powers, he can engage in other activities, such as trying to control the underworld. I was told he is quite a powerful demon otherwise, just never had time to practice. And if he wants to continue with that, he will use Diane again."

"Phoebe put up a protector spell in her hospital room, but they won't risk exposure while she's there. I'm more worried about what they said about Leo."

"You won't like it."

"That was for certain from the start. I never like what they want with Leo. So?"

"They want him to prove himself. They are afraid of him. An Elder he isn't, at least not anymore. Nobody really knows what he's capable of, especially in this mental state. The plan is to see if he can challenge Sisyphus and if he doesn't mess up, they would allow him up there to try to calm his mind further."

"A perfect example of their no risk policy, huh?" Piper frowned, "well, tell them no deal. They help him now and then we will go together to face that ancient demon. This is our offer, otherwise we don't fight any other demons or do any favours for the Elders."

"Put the telly on!" Phoebe's voice came from upstairs where she was supposed to watch cartoons with the kids, "switch to CNN!"

Paige orbed the remote control to herself, "gotta go. Mylords rang upstairs," she bowed with an ironic frown, leaving Piper in the company of the news, and Phoebe, who just descended the stairs with a half asleep Wyatt in her arms.

"…the peculiar storm, that produced very little rain, and one enormous lightning," the telly blasted, as Paige didn't have time to adjust the volume, "made no allowances for the fact that the San Francisco hospital building was supposed to be lightning safe. The fire that resulted from the natural curse engulfed three storeys before emergency services could put a hold on it. The injured are being transported to two of the closest hospitals. The number of fatalities are not clear yet, but level five was most affected…"

"That is where Diane was," Phoebe supplied.

Paige rematerialised and orbed the remote control into her hands again, this time to press the red switch off button. When she slowly turned to face her sisters, her lips were trembling, her face was whiter than her usual pastiness and her expression was one between trepidation and concern, "Piper…what we talked about…Leo has already taken the assignment by himself when Sisyphus resurfaced himself to use Diane's powers in the hospital, instead of kidnapping her. Perhaps he wanted to make up for his mistakes…"

"Leo caused the fire?" Phoebe asked, quieter than she felt like it for the stupefaction that suddenly dawned on her, although in her heart of hearts she already knew it all had to do with her brother in law, that is why she asked her sisters to watch the news. But she still had the composure to restrain herself, as she didn't want to wake Wyatt up.

"Yes," Paige nodded, nervously pulling at her blouse, "she vanquished Sisyphus. Unfortunately he killed dozens of people in the process, including Diane…"

"We have to find him," Piper turned, ready for action, "Paige, sense him and orb over everywhere you can think of if you can't locate him," she referred to the underworld, to which Leo often resorted nowadays.

"No. Piper," Paige closed in on her, ready to either take her into her arms or restrain her from blowing the house up when she heard the news, "the Elders have already found him."

"What did they do with him?"

"They gathered their powers altogether to be able to counteract his and…"

"And what Paige, what?" Piper almost screamed now, impatiently, while Phoebe tried to calm down the wakened child, but moving closer to the other two herself, sensing the extreme negative emotion in Paige, and the same building up in Piper.

"He was a threat. They killed him," Paige whispered crying, watching Piper as she didn't do any of what she expected from her, but half sat, half fell down on the sofa, with her two sisters waiting for a reaction.

"There are not many death that are final in this family," she started towards the attic determined after a minute of thinking.

Tbc


	2. Demonic Angel

Chapter 2: Demonic Angel

"Leo? Leo!"

The ex whitelighter finally became aware of the numerous attempts by  
which somebody was trying to get his attention when his shoulders  
were shaken. He lifted his head out of his palms to look into the  
green eyes of the demon he once known as his friend, but also came to  
fear in case he harmed either of the sisters. The exact man he was  
thinking of so much in the last time since he felt himself out of  
hand as he thought of his situation being very similar to what has  
happened with Cole when he came back from the wasteland. The man  
must've been a product of his imagination, the same way so many  
things were in his troubled mind. He couldn't distinguish reality  
from the games his brain played on him in the last few weeks of his  
Elder existence, but here, in the grey void that represented the  
dimension of the purgatory where the Elder's council sent him,  
everything that happened was imaginary. He so far didn't encounter  
anything that wasn't. Leo didn't understand the logic behind it, how  
could the Elders send him that place where he was going to get more  
insane in that place, not less. Unless he was waiting for some sort  
of sentence, that would have been the purpose of being in a purgatory  
after all. But for how long did he have to wait for it? In an  
impulseless world, which provided the senses with nothing, he had no  
idea how long has it been since he landed there. From the fact that  
he didn't go completely bollocks yet, he deduced that most likely it  
was no more than a few days. He crunched his eyebrows at the vision  
in front of him, who was continuously trying to get through to him.  
The intensity of the look in the eyes of the phenomenon made him  
wonder. Nothing else was that sparkly when it was part of his blurry  
hallucinations, "what is going on?" He said evenly, as if to himself.

Cole however, took his words as a sign of some sense from the  
whitelighter and made an attempt to bring him more to his senses by  
explaining the situation for him, "the Elders have given your fate  
over to the gatekeeper of heaven the moment they let you go and he  
has reached a decision about you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"  
He leaned closer once more to lift up Leo's head with both his hands,  
to be able to look into his eyes for a confirmation that intelligence  
was still there. He could remember the time, now seeming like an  
eternity ago, when he landed himself in these parts of creation. He  
had recently found out from the gatekeeper that in fact it was only  
two years ago. He had made enough amends to save himself from the  
wasteland again, but the road to his happiness was still very far  
away. What kinda heaven was anyway a dimension without Phoebe? At  
first, he didn't actually think he was in a better place than the  
wasteland, because without the possibility of orienteering and any  
information whatsoever he felt more lost than ever. Till somebody  
came and explained the whole thing to him, cause that was the way  
things worked in purgatory. His guide, who for the gatekeeper's good  
will was allowed to be his father, has earned his way into heaven  
since. Now it was Cole's turn to tip the balance in some direction by  
trying to guide Leo, to show him what was important.

"What was the decision?" Leo asked, very much to the point. If Cole  
was real, that was what he needed to know, if he wasn't, it was still  
better to play a game with one illusion, rather than wait for several  
to appear at the one time.

"Leo!" Cole sighed with ease, then snorted with elation, pulling the  
other man up from its sitting position to give him a bear hug. He  
needed some interaction from his ex brother in law if he wanted his  
plan to work.

"Illusions can't hug so convincingly, right?" Leo voiced his worries  
loudly.

"I believe they didn't bother explaining you the institution of  
purgatory, angel or no angel."

"No…" Leo answered uncertainly, taking a turn at touching Cole's body  
all over to see if he was really real, "this means I'm just as bad as  
you," he deduced sadly.

Cole gave a chuckle, "I never thought I will see the day, that's for  
sure. But it proves that everyone can make mistakes if a loved one is  
at stake."

"I…don't assume you know about my family…"

"This place is like a jail. There are certain privileges you can earn  
with good behaviour. You can choose to watch a reality show type  
camera that shows whoever you want, to be able to see what they are  
doing on earth. But right now, you have no good points yet."

"Come on Cole. If you had any of these privileges, you would opt for  
watching Phoebe, for sure."

"I haven't done that since…yesterday," Cole smiled, "she's trying to  
convince Piper you're not coming back, since the spells to bring you  
back don't work. Pity for her to go through all that pain, since you  
are going back."

"I am? I thought it's either hell or heaven from here."

"Not necessarily. Actually, that is only true if you don't qualify  
for the trial, or if you can't complete the trial. I told you about  
the gatekeeper's decision, he considers there were too many factors  
in your existence that were out of your control and you couldn't be  
entirely blamed for your deeds. That is how you get a trial."

"You got a trial as well?"

"Sort of. Actually, I have to go through several trials, but I  
completed quite a few already…so you see that in fact we are not of  
the same worth, not even here. You only need to complete this one to  
be able to choose heaven or going back to earth."

"What does the trial consist of?" Leo asked eagerly.

"We don't actually know that at the beginning of the trial. If we  
knew what we needed to do, it wouldn't be a trial. They put us into  
situations and they judge us from the way we behave. All I know, is  
that for this one we have to leave all dimensions that are known by  
us so far and that we have to do it together. And as usual for such  
trials, we shouldn't have any powers, wherever we go, apart from  
special cases the gatekeeper decides on. We don't know in advance  
about that either. So, are you ready?"

"To jump into the unknown for Piper?" Leo came to act logically  
pretty soon after realising there was a chance he could see his wife  
again, "how do we travel to destination without powers?"

tbc


	3. Latifah

Chapter 3: Latifah

The two travellers looked around sensing a change in their surroundings, just to turn back to each other once again, mesmerised not so much by finding themselves in front of the Halliwell manor, but more so by the changes to the house from they way they have remembered it. There were two storeys added on top, and a row of steps leading somewhere under the porch as well. The outside wall was painted a brighter shade of red, in contrast with the blackness of the windows, doors and the roof, with the terraced garden planted with so many growing seemingly magical weeds and other herbs that they could hardly see down to the road, where a dark limo was parked.

A grey cat jumped off the fence, meowed at them and shapeshifted into a blond, sturdy demon with a beard, but not with much hair elsewhere on his head in the safety of the secluded entrance in the heart of San Francisco, "your queen is expecting you, my lord," he bowed in front of Leo, glancing uneasily at his companion. He waved the doors open, and the strong scent let them know that a magical protection charm was also broken to allow their entrance.

The hall looked like a mini museum to the untrained eye, but in fact was a collection of ancient objects that possessed paranormal qualities. Wyatt was playing with a toy gun at the bottom of the steps, directing it at an older woman. Next to the steps, baby Christopher was lying in a pram, hands and legs moving vehemently. When they got closer, they could see that he was actually crying, but his voice could not be heard.

"What is this?" Leo couldn't help himself, and took the frazzled child out of the pushchair and held him close to comfort him.

"The triumvirate adjourned the whole board of representing fractions of the underworld and her majesty ordered no interruption from the children, so I cast a spell."

"Break it. Now!" He ordered the demon, reasonably alarmed by seeing his son get more and more frustrated by not being able to hear his own voice and trying harder and harder. But once the effect of the spell wore off and he could lie exhausted in the security of his father's arms, he shot his eyes to rest after all the action. The temporary loud cries however, seemed to have disrupted the gathering in the attic, where from demonic laughs could be heard all the way down to the entrance door. An annoyed Paige orbed in with an even more upset Piper. The babysitter attempted shimmering away at the sight, but Piper's blowing up skills were more practiced nowadays than her freezing ability.

Paige elbowed her playfully, "who are you gonna order to baby sit next?"

Piper regarded her husband with some wonderment, "maybe Leo, if he keeps this up. I thought we agreed not to touch the baby whitelighter that was foretold to change the balance back to the side of good," she scoffed at Christopher, not willing to even utter his name, "until we figure out a way to make him be like Wyatt," she kneeled down to stroke the hair of her oldest, who blew up one of the plastic toy trucks for attention, for which he was also rewarded with a kiss on top of his head.

"Well, I'm sure we will figure out something," Leo stepped into his role the gatekeeper was supposedly wanting him to play in this alternate dimension, where the sisters were apparently on the side of evil, "we always do. So it's a given. There's no need of depriving him of anything till then," he continued to hold the boy.

"Aha," Piper regarded him sceptically, "and that after I had to stop you yesterday from orbing him to the bottom of the ocean and leaving him there tied to some weeds for being the curse on the family. That's exactly what we need now," she gestured towards Paige, "a husband crown price that changes his mind every second minute. Do it, don't do it, get it up, don't get it up..."

"I'm more worried about the presence of a certain half human," she frowned at Cole, "Phoebe will get a nervous breakdown if she sees him."

"Some things just never change," Cole glanced at Leo with an ironic look.

"And more importantly," Paige continued, "I don't like him being here either. We can't trust him. The number of times he turned on us to perform some stupid noble good deed..." She rolled her eyes and held up her hand in a disgusted gesture.

"Maybe he has some info on some of the witches we want to hunt down, don't you Cole?" Piper took his arm, "you can tell me in private. Will you shimmer us up?" She suggested in a teasing manner, tugging at his sleeve and smiling sexily.

"Information, yeah..." Cole followed her order, reasonably confused and unprepared as to what he was supposed to do in the situation.

"Tusk," Paige shook her head, "information, my ass! Leo, this really a disgrace, don't you think? Open marriage here or there, I wouldn't let my wife fling around so obviously with a half breed that endangered our leadership!"

"You're right," Leo felt some jealousy even in the out of place circumstances, "could you mind the kids while I go up and sort out something with my wife?"

"Huh?" Paige admired her own fingernails, "since when is it in fashion to ask the queen of the underworld to baby sit for doubtful spawns of an ex Elder?"

"Queen?" Leo couldn't help, but express his surprise at the words of his sister in law, almost giving himself away with the incredulous tone.

"Okay, okay, the triumvirate of the charmed sisters rules demonkind, but one can imagine herself being crowned in all actuality..." Paige dreamed with an excited voice, then regarded Leo for a moment in a way that made his heart jump, afraid she found a way to see through him, but finally she decided to give him the help he was asking her after all, "guard!" When the curly haired, handsome demon protector shimmered in, Paige pursed her lips at Leo, "my bodyguard will look after the kids. Don't look at me like that! Just because he is my lover, he can still perform other duties as well. He's good with kids, he has six smaller siblings. Now mind your own marriage!" She urged him to orb upstairs, "but I wanna discuss some plan with you afterwards," she ordered him, leaving no doubt about who was in charge between the two of them.

tbc


	4. Sleepless Nights And Pumpkin Pies

Chapter 4: Sleepless Nights And Pumpkin Pies

Letting herself get shimmered in next to her and Leo's marital bed, Piper didn't waste time with anything. She stepped back one from Cole to assure that her perfected powers had their intended aim and reached up slowly, her fingers almost touching his chest. She stopped for a second, taking in his remarkable features, then made a slight movement of her wrist. The blow that resulted didn't harm Cole at all, but it knocked him onto the bed and ripped his clothes conveniently apart.

The stunt however, horrified Cole, making him want to be rather small and out of this world. He didn't know whether the gatekeeper entrusted him with any powers this time, but he held out his palm anyway to form a fireball as a tool of his self preservation. It was at that moment, looking up, that he realised that there was no threat to his safety or health.

The danger arouse in the form of an also naked Piper, "what do want with that?" She murmured in a velvety voice, "okay, I was the one who started with violence, but sadism is only allowed on my part, remember? Just because Phoebe permits it with the occasion of our foursomes..."

"What?" Cole lost concentration and let the fireball accidentally burn his own hand, somewhat before he directed it to vanish.

Piper laughed at him, but when she climbed up on the bed on top of him, she started with kissing and caressing his already healing right hand. She gently licked the wound until it disappeared, while Cole was trying to understand the situation. He had his powers all right, but what was this with Piper's behaviour? And for goodness' sakes, what foursome?

"Ah, forget I mentioned Phoebe!" Piper said a bit upset, while she stroked and touched Cole everywhere now, but he didn't move a muscle in response, "I don't think she would agree to join us anytime soon. She's rather annoyed with you since you stopped the new American civil war from erupting. We could've identified so many potential demons...speaking of potential! Eh, I hate business," she pulled Cole's red pants off, using her amazing dexterity to try to start him off, if nothing else helped so far. Needing to work on rousing him wasn't something new and Piper was sure she had the experience now to provide those few special touches she came to know after experimenting with him during the last couple of years since Phoebe had completely given up the hope of a successful relationship with him. To Piper's annoyance though, Cole still held on to the illusion of being together with Phoebe one day. This was one of the reason's he'd given in to the older sister's charms, she knew that well. Being Piper's lover gave him the opportunity to stay in touch and the family more or less tolerated his existence, whether he kept to his moral high ground and double crossed them sometimes or not. Not to mention those now very rare occasions Phoebe gave in to her middle of cycle lust and used him as a toy, which paradoxically meant heaven to him. Piper still accepted the situation as well. She even supposed that when Cole shut his eyes during intercourse, or asked for the lights to be turned off, he imagined that he was making love to Phoebe, not her. It didn't matter to her too much, she already had a husband who treated her as if she was a god and cherished her to the point he tolerated not being the one who satisfied her sexually. All in all, boring as Leo was, he was the reason himself Piper needed Cole. The half demon wasn't all that much older than Leo, but boy, was he more skilled in bed. Nevertheless, there must've been something wrong with him this time and Piper started to worry about him. She couldn't see the anger in his eyes either that so often fuelled their passionate, animalic encounter. Piper was baffled when he pushed her away once she wanted to use her tongue wandering lower than his bellybutton with it.

Cole cringed away and sat on the side of the bed, "maybe..." He started, but had no idea how to get away from her. He had absolutely no idea what St. Peter, the gatekeeper of heaven wanted him to do. His equivalent in this dimension was obviously on very intimate terms with his Piper, but certainly the gatekeeper's task could have not been for him to sleep with her. There was always some greater goal at stake in the background and he wondered if the road to the solution really was to bounce on Piper.

The triumvirate's oldest followed Cole to the edge of the bed on her hands and knees, cursing Phoebe silently to herself. The visionary charmed one has been particularly nasty to Cole in the last time and Piper guessed this being the reason for her lover's frustration. Phoebe was of no good to anyone lately. Without active powers, they practically allowed her to share the throne of the underworld just because she was their sister. Paige had mentioned a plan recently about how to get rid of her without the demons finding out they did it, and Piper had been thinking about it since. They could've ruled easier without her, she never knew what she really wanted and often changed her mind. But more importantly, after the initial shock, Cole would forget about her too. Paige would subsequently be also easy to get rid of, as her powers were not as strong as Piper's escalating blowing up abilities that worked on all demons now, not just on some. When she would have the throne to herself, she would divorce Leo, and maybe keep him as a lover, because the underworld would never accept an ex Elder as their sole king. But Cole on the other hand...Piper cursed under her breath once more when she recognised Leo's orbs.

tbc


	5. Running On Empty

Chapter 5: Running On Empty

"Can I borrow some of your clothes?" Cole addressed the arriving whitelighter immediately, hoping he would not misunderstand anything and also that he will help him out.

Leo opened his wardrobe door, "choose," he said simply and energetically.

"What is the emergency now? Something wrong? Factions? Exposure? What?" Piper found the two men's behaviour strange.

"Yeah, what is the hurry?" Phoebe opened the door and slipped in, "Caligula told me you were the ones who disrupted the meeting and since Piper was nowhere to be found, I'd thought I'll find you all here. Hope it's not a private party. The conference is off anyway, the leaders can't agree on how many lower level trained suicide demons to sacrifice each for infiltrating the catholic church."

Piper sighed. Maybe it was better with her around, Cole would be more willing now that he had the "privilege" to see her...

But Phoebe, once again, had other ideas, "I wanna watch," she leaned on top of a chair, "like last time."

The last time meant Leo and Cole together, not a bad idea after all, Piper felt the excitement raising in her veins. She could have self satisfied herself on the spot just by the sight of those two of her muscular hunkies sliding on top of each other. It was definitely the next best thing after Cole's penetration rhythm. She walked behind her sister and unbuttoned her red summer dress, letting it fall onto the ground. The only person dressed remained Leo, but Piper took care of that too, landing him next to Cole a similar way she had done with the other man, "come on, you two," she urged them, taking Phoebe's hand and pulling her into the corner with her, making the stunned men finally understand what exactly the sisters wanted them to do.

"Can we not have some help here?" Leo asked the women, trying to make sure he didn't misunderstand.

"What is it with you guys today?" Piper complained. The only thing she really wanted was a quickie with Cole, but more and more complications got in the way. She cursed to herself for the third time as she remembered how her efforts with Cole gave no results earlier, but by the mere sight of Phoebe's naked breast he was immediately ready and able.

Leo looked at Cole, hoping he would think of something to get them out of the situation. Not that he wasn't used to homosexual relations, he was not only a soldier in war for quite a long time, but also spent the sixties and eighties as a real party dude. But he hardly thought that shoving his penis anywhere would be the gateway to heaven, if they weren't talking in figurative terms. However it was, he had to leave the decision to Cole, as he was more familiar with St. Peter's tasks.

Cole in fact, being familiar with the nature of the trials, knew that this couldn't have anything to do with it. He also knew that he might not succeed in completing whatever the Saint still had in mind to ask from them if he didn't go along and played his part. He was also well aware that he had to enjoy all that these alternate scenarios offered, as it might have been his last time being sent somewhere. Not to forget, his job in this particular dimension was to guide Leo. And so he will. First, he had to get the message through to him to accept his role here, calm him and convince him this was what they were meant to do. He had his powers, and if so, he should have had his suggesting power as well, the one he once used on some bureaucrat when trying to help Paige's office on an adoption case. He placed him palm on Leo's broad shoulders, letting the information pass through his hand into him quietly, in a way that wasn't noticeable to the sisters. He let the other man know all he was aware of regarding their situation, but let him decide for himself. His suggesting power included hypnotising people into doing practically anything, but that would have not been right under the circumstances. There was a long pause during which Phoebe repeatedly pressed them for action, but Cole had to wait for Leo to act to begin with. If all else failed, they could have shimmered/orbed out and found an explanation for why they did it later, but that could've shaken the women's trust in them and compromised the success of the particular test they were under.

Finally, Leo took a deep breath and returned Cole's earlier gesture by similarly touching his muscled shoulder, bringing him closer. As the demon was still resting his hand at the bottom of the ex whitelighter's neck, when Leo leaned close, the friendly gesture resembled a hug. Eye to eye, Leo nodded towards him slightly, giving his blessing on the show.

"Piper would agree big time, that I'm a little tense. How about a back massage?" Cole suggested, hoping it will set the tome, give them some time to get used to the idea and hand over the other man the leading role by sending him behind himself.

The suggestion suited the younger man under testing, who, although being born a few decades later than Cole, was much more experienced with same sex encounters for pleasure than the half demon. He started with lightly stroking the back of the neck of his guide to this dimension, adding his breath to the massage when coming close to his skin, looking like small kisses to the onlooker. Moving downwards onto Cole's shoulders and back, he pressed harder and harder, more and more rhythmically, with a more arousing rather than with a soothing effect. He didn't look into the girls' direction, that would've taken him off his stride. Maybe the Leo of this dimension he replaced did it the same way. Not that he never ever looked at Cole in a way that turned his sexual fantasies on before, but he had always stopped himself at the root, as such attitude wasn't appropriate in their family situation. But he sometimes did have thoughts about the future. The witches' life expectancy was limited, even if they survived all demon attacks and lived to an old age. Leo on the other hand was practically immortal and Cole was still very young in demonic terms. Well, that if they completed this trial with success. A momentary escape to the possible future wasn't to be dismissed though, and he started to enjoy the experience.

Cole was rather dismissive of what was happening to him. As a half human child in the underworld, he was often beaten and violated by older or more demonic kids at Raynor's school before he learnt how to stand up for himself. Instead of getting scarred for a lifetime, he had used his anger in whatever plan their teacher had in store for him and slowly earned his reputation as an unwavering killer. He also knew how to find pleasure in pain. But he didn't need to loose himself in the sensation to be seen as responding to Leo's touch, cause Phoebe was right in front of him. Simply thinking about her caused him spontaneous ejaculation at times, and he didn't have any problems matching Leo's performance with his own.

Piper clapped her hands in excitement, not minding the double mess on her bed, more impressed with Leo for a change than she was with Cole, "wow, how come you did it the other way round with Leo on top this time?" She grabbed her husband and pressed him down onto the pillows, "how about repeating that with me?" She teased, leaning over him to the drawer for a condom.

Phoebe was lying back on her seat from where she was watching the show, with only her fingers moving, sliding up and down on her intimate parts, the way Cole did with himself a minute ago.

The half demon took the bed sheet to clean himself as he slowly, unsurely made his way to her. He knelt down in front of her, and placed his hand on her working fingers, feeling out the rhythm and the place.

Phoebe's eyes shot open for a few seconds, but she was too much lost in the sensation to be able to resist him. She let her fingers slip out the way and her hands fall beside her lifelessly as she gave herself completely to the sensual heaven offered by Cole's long and soft fingertips.

tbc


	6. You Too, Brutus?

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Chapter 6: You Too, Brutus?

Leo shot up, pressing his palms to his ears, however pointless the exercise was. The more he wanted to enjoy lying next to his wife, the more Paige's voice got louder in his head as his once charge called him, the connection still alive. He pulled his shirt on while tracing the call's location, and orbed to the frostiness of Death Valley.

"I didn't want to speak about this in the house," Paige explained right away, "and you forgot I told you I needed to speak to you."

"I hope it's not gonna take long," Leo looked around in the eeriness.

"You're back being intimate with Piper I take it?"

"I...think so."

"Good. Than you are even more likely to know how she would feel about eliminating Phoebe. You can see I can't just ask her myself. Last time I mentioned something like this, she didn't say anything. It might put me in a bad light with her if I tried again."

"Eliminating? What do you mean eliminating?"

"Eliminating, getting rid of, disposing, sending her to hell, eradicating, you know what I mean."

"You...wanna...uh...your sister?" Leo stammered.

"Phoebe's a predicament. She makes us look weak cause we tolerate her on the throne having hardly any useful powers. There will be a revolution in the underworld against us if we don't think first and make sure she disappears for good. Discredit to our honour, that's what she is."

"Paige, I don't know if Piper agrees with that or not," he made a non-committal answer, "but I'll find that out for you. Now can we maybe get out of this freaky place and meet somewhere else next time?"

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"What do you think? An odd reality, huh?" Cole asked Leo the next morning, when they shimmered away to have brunch at one of the demonic cafes somewhere under the hidden catacombs of Rome, "seems like our only purpose here is being toy boys, one of us being used more often than the other," Cole frowned, somehow not being over the moon about the fact that he was the one more demanded. Not to mention that Phoebe dismissed him in the morning by making herself available to her subjects for audience and that apart from the deliverance of some sexual pleasure, nothing important happened between them all night. He could've made love to the walls with the same effort.

"Not quite that bad," Leo differed ironically, "it appears I was also employed as a contract killer."

"You too?" Cole snorted, not sure if he should laugh or not, "after you left, Piper freaked me out once more by dragging me away from Phoebe, but she only wanted to tell me to kill Paige."

"Only?"

"Well, better than you know what."

"Was that about 4 am?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Because that means she wanted Paige killed before I told her Paige wanted Phoebe out of the picture. And I was given the job. Just who exactly is this person I'm married to, you know? You seem to be on more friendly terms with her..."

"Khm...back to the problem. Phoebe. When was this...this assassination meant to take place?"

"Noon. Least likely time for any demon to interfere. There's a set up with some witches."

"Piper wanted me to do Paige at midday as well. She gave me some darklighter venom, so I don't have to bother going to fetch some from somewhere. Looks like the beastie wants to rule. Excuse my words, but that's what she is. Not really the Piper you would go for. Question is, what are we gonna do about it?"

"It's not like the other two are much better, Cole. And there's something else. The Elders think I am this ex angel who opened an orbing business for lower level demons who can't shimmer. But they still contacted me half an hour ago. They want the same thing as Piper. They don't think I would intentionally go against Piper in anything, but they entrusted me with taking out Phoebe and Paige from the equation..."

"Shit," Cole threw his serviette onto the coffee table, "it makes sense. If this is a gatekeeper's task and the sisters are evil, we are meant to murder them all, cause the Leo and Cole of this dimension wouldn't be able to."

"And we are?...Cole, I don't think I'm ready for such accomplishment," he emphasised the last word sarcastically, "rewarded or not."

"Na ja, you're new at this."

"At the killing? Well, not so new. That's why in purgatory, remember?"

"Not the killing. I meant the tasks."

"Why? How many times did you have to kill them in how many alternate dimensions before? Apart from the one time in ours, as an assignment from the Source."

"None, so far. But all these tasks have something in common. They cause quite a lot of pain. Physical and emotional, preferably both."

"You can't ask me to kill Piper. Even the Elders in this world had the sense not to."

"I'm not. I'm asking you to take this darklighter venom with you. Don't worry, it can't harm you. You're not really a whitelighter, you're dead, currently."

"You want me to take your job. Does that mean you won't let me kill Phoebe?"

"No, I won't. Cause that is one thing I will have to do myself. If she had to die, I don't want her to have to do it alone. I have to be there for her, you understand?"

tbc


	7. Romance Is Dead

Chapter 7: Romance Is Dead

The queue started at Phoebe's door and went all the way down the stairs and flooded the street. Cole couldn't see the end of it from the corner. Seemed like all demons wanted to take advantage of the rare event of an audience taking place at the Halliwell manor. The half demon made his way up energetically, shoving the pale, spiky demon who was standing right at Phoebe's door out the way, "is there anybody in with her?"

"Of course. What do you think we are, idiots!" The square shaped demon who was second in the line retorted.

"Take your place at the end," the spiky demon pushed Cole back away from the queue, "there can't be any violence in this house, cause we will all get thrown out and never get to see any of the charmed ones."

"Oh, watch it, they might even vanquish you for misconduct," Cole mocked him, "look at me. Do you know who I am?"

"One of the charmed one's ex husband," they were never allowed to call the sisters by name, "so what? If she wanted you, you wouldn't be standing in a queue for audience, you would shimmer in."

"I'm also happen to be called Belthazor," he tried to use his remaining reputation, if it still meant anything around here.

"So? Three ex Sources are standing peacefully somewhere in the back. I suggest you join them."

"What is you business here? Why do you want to see Phoebe?"

The hedgehoglike demon looked around nervously, hoping the guards didn't witness Cole's transgression of uttering the name, cause if one did, his best option was to disappear so he doesn't get vanquished along with the offender standing right next to him, "that is between her majesty and me."

"Are you sure it is her majesty," he gestured with his index finger high in the air and rolled his eyes at the last word, "who can solve your problem? Anyway, whatever you're wanting, I'm quite sure you can't pay her for her efforts."

"We all know she's a nymphomaniac," the demon whispered, "and I'm as good as a man as anybody else."

"And we all know she's obsessed with sexuality because she can't have me. Do you really think she wants to get intimate with someone with spikes? How about you give her what she really wants? Me. Then you'll get everything you came here for. You have my word. What do you have to loose? If I'm wrong, she's vanquish me in two seconds flat."

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Phoebe was scribbling down something at her dresser that was moved a bit forward and currently served as a bureau, with several strange and old books on it, that would've fitted his table more than hers, including the History Of Demonkind and Roman Law, "next! State the matter of your visit," she said, without looking up.

"To finish this between us for once and all," Cole kneeled down with one leg at the other side of the her dresser as he knew was expected from all followers of the triumvirate.

"You are finished," she leaned back on her seat for a few seconds, smirking and admiring the view, "out or I use the potion on you. I'm keeping an audience."

"I stood in the queue to get to you. As a demon, I'm entitled for you to listen."

"In that case," she graciously strolled over to him, stroked his face in a similar manner and pulled him up to herself, their mouths millimetres away. She placed her hand to his chest as if to support herself for a kiss, but when her fingers found their way between the buttons of his shirt and the abundant hair on his torso, Cole felt something similar to a current going through his body, rooted in his heart and sending searing pain right until the tip of his fingers and making him collapse onto the ground.

"Extreme sadness causes physical pain," Phoebe went back energetically to where he saw her on entrance, "my new power," she explained, "great, huh? Comes from my empathic abilities, but now I can cause any emotion in any other person while my touch lasts. I wasn't sure if it works on demons as well, but now I know," she waved him out, not really interested in what he had to say.

It took a certain determination from Cole to get himself together and on his feet. Phoebe's prank worked better than she could ever imagine. Cause the feeling she caused was the exact same he experienced all by himself anyway, and it was doubled this way. Cole wasn't sure which was worse, to see this bitter Phoebe who enjoyed hurting him so much or the fact that he was going to kill her. He stood for a second, staring at her, the stray locks of hair that curled in front of her eyes as she resumed writing, the negligee of her top with a good view on the better part of her breasts as he was standing right at the best angle, her drive that always propelled her forward no matter what she thought her aim was at the time.

"Should I call the guards to get rid of you?" She glanced up, not even considering him as a threat for a millisecond.

"You're in grave danger...from your sisters," he blurted out the only thing he could think of that could've made her change her mind from throwing him out legs flying.

"I know," she gave him some attention right enough, "but once they find out I have an active power too, they'll be okay with me."

"It doesn't matter anymore. Your sisters not only want you dead, but they have found a way to keep the throne to themselves by closing their eyes over the conspiracy of the Pearl Covet, the ones that have the Book Of Shadows now. Paige used her orbs to pose as a whitelighter and provided them with a potion that contains your blood, which you know is the most effective way of getting any demon vanquished. Even the most powerful kind of ex witches."

"How do you know all this? They would surely keep it quiet from you in case you still feel for me," Phoebe theorised matter of factly.

"Yes, they would. But I got suspicious and followed Leo around for a while when he also talked to the Covet."

"Leo? Can't be. He's only on evil's side cause he is under Piper's thumb. Just like you are under mine's," she acknowledged, as if talking to a simple pawn. She was so used to being a sort of queen.

"That's right. He does whatever Piper tells him to do. Now it's this. They plan to attack later on today."

"We need to strike first. You know this Covet. How strong are they? Could the two of us take them?"

"With your new power, absolutely," Cole lied continuously, "the sooner the better. Maybe they didn't replicate the potion yet."

"You know where they reside," Phoebe approached him giving him her hand to let herself shimmered, "but wait," she halted the action with a gesture of her other hand, "I just wanna say thank you. For your loyalty. You will be crowned as my king for your services," she half dropped the mask of a stuffed up princess, "and that means you will have privileges and nobody can play farces on you. Not even me," she added self-consciously, with all the remaining goodness that was somewhere still left in her. She stood on her tiptoes and raised her hand to his neck to lower him for a short kiss.

"I'm sorry," Cole let her go as he shimmered them inside of a crystal circle at the Covet during the kiss, where he was supposed to take her. He dematerialised right away, not standing around to watch the vanquish, taking the thoroughly shaking Leo with him from the floor where he cherished Piper's wedding ring. They both have completed their assignments with success and if they could believe the gatekeeper, they will be allowed to see the real sisters pretty soon.

tbc


	8. Where To?

Chapter 8: Where To?

"Leo Wyatt!" A small man in black and white, and with a similarly coloured walking stick approached him in the now familiar numbness of purgatory, "heaven or Earth?"

"Earth, if possible," Leo said humbly, hardly believing he is going to have a second chance. Now that he had seen a quite an opposite scenario to what he had known before, he believed the future could turn out in any way, even in a way Chris doesn't have to die, especially that the end seemingly never was the end.

"Very well," the gatekeeper tilted his walking stick, "just one more assignment and you can be with your family."

"One more?" Leo repeated, half loosing his faith again, as he was previously told he was given the green light already.

"Yes, but that's on Earth," St Peter laughed at his baffled face. It was great fun to play tricks on the poor mortals, even if they sometimes lived for hundreds of years. Sooner or later they would be his anyway, "you're task is to take Cole Turner back with you and convince your family to accept him as a true good man, cause he proved that's what he is."

"Only that?" Leo stuttered, knowing how stubborn the sisters could be about that.

"You can use tricks," the saint advised, "the aim is important, not the tools," he waved his hand and the next moment Leo was standing in the middle of the attic, summoned by the charmed ones reading up some spell together to get him back. But no one jumped into his arms right away. They were all dumbfoundedly staring to his right, where Cole was standing hand in hand with him.

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"Oh no, Piper," Paige was more shocked by the success of their manoeuvre after the numerous failed potions, searches and spells they tried to bring Leo back, rather than unhappy to see her old whitelighter, "he must be coming from the wasteland, if he is with Cole. Figures, if your Grams didn't know where he was..."

"I don't care. Are you okay?" Piper pulled him close once his connection with Cole ceased when the demon, rather dazzled himself by the real world after so many alternate realities let his hand drop limply to his side.

"Elders will be upset he's here," Paige said, after she gave her brother in law a hug herself.

"Do you think I will start worrying about them now? My main concern is getting Leo over this all and show him as much as a normal family life as we can manage," she patronised him the same way she had tried before he had killed some Elders, assuming she would have to take care of him now more than ever.

"Talking about main concerns..." Phoebe raised her eyebrows at the other man still in the room.

"Elders would have their orders to comply with what the gatekeeper decided," Cole assured Leo confidently, "Leo is fine," he said to Piper, "and as far as the concern of myself..." His words ended in his dematerialisation as an explanation.

Everybody was left staring to the place where he stood a second ago because of the white sparkling lights that became less and less in numbers, then completely disappeared when Cole finished blurring out as he did so many times in the past when he considered he wasn't welcomed by the sisters.

"What...was...that?" Phoebe pointed.

"Definitely a blur, but it had some similarities to an orb," Paige accounted for what they all saw.

"I think I can clarify that for you," Leo started to fulfil St Peter's expectations, "it would be the way of the gatekeeper's to heaven to make sure you believe me. Not even Cole's powers are of evil origin anymore," he rolled his eyes when everybody was looking at him as if he was more mad than before. Okay, maybe it wasn't going to be easy to talk to them, but with the present state of affairs and the gatekeeper's help it won't be as hard as he first thought it will be either.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How come you never stay?" Leo orbed after Cole when he disappeared once again as soon as the demon who tried for leadership was vanquished by the charmed ones with his help. Powerful he still was, they were hardly ever challenged by anyone nowadays because all demons knew the sisters were under his protection. Sometimes month had passed without any contact between him and the sisters. But not Leo, with whom he became real friends.

"Funny you ask," Cole frowned and filled himself a glass of water. It was a heated situation over at the manor a minute ago.

"I mean how long are you going to play this game? If you want Phoebe to die lusting over you, you are on the right path."

"Phoebe doesn't care about me. The only reason she still tolerates me is because I'm handy having around."

"Hah. The reason she tolerates you is that you fulfil her wildest fantasies."

"And you know that because?"

"Piper told me."

"Look, Leo, that's all nice and wonderful, but one, I don't believe that, two, even if it was true I couldn't go all through that pain again. She would eventually dump me, you know that. Did you ever see her in a successful relationship with a partner?"

"No. But...what do you expect? She had Grams, Prue and Patty to look up to as role models."

"You could say the same thing about Piper. She still manages quite well."

"It wasn't that easy, especially at first. I had to teach her what it all meant to be together. You can do the same."

"And Phoebe will listen. That will be right."

"Just try Cole, one more time."

"I don't want to. The reason for me being here is to prove myself. My job is here, if you wanna put it that way."

"And I believe that," Leo retorted in a similarly ironical way Cole said the same sentence a little before.

"Well, do you have any suggestions?"

"Yes, I do. There is a Wicca ceremony that binds two souls together as long as they live. Ask her to do that with you. It's undoable, no matter what. You can't have doubts about her if she agrees to it."

"She would never..."

"Cole! What do you have to loose? I'll get the roses, you write the note," he disappeared to the florist.

"Just like that? Without any forewords?" Cole gave him a bit of paper when he got back.

"You waited long enough I think," Leo shook his head and orbed out again, smiling at his friend. Cole didn't have time to get nervous or even think about what he let himself talked into, because Leo took less than a minute to come back, "it's a yes, you dumbass."

tbc


	9. Mirror Mirror

Chapter 9: Mirror Mirror

Leo switched off the big computer screen in the Elder's conference room after one of the never-ending meetings the Elders he had in employment took so seriously. As the President, he could have dissolved any discussions of the Elder parliament if we wanted to, but he usually let them feel important and rant. Being the leader of all whitelighters for three hundred years bored him to the extent he would've sometimes given up his whole existence and opt for that Heaven he once rejected, but there was no one of his competence or experience still alive, nobody who actually faced real demons and not just heard or read about them. Not that demons didn't exist, but in the last circa two hundred and fifty years since Cole was in charge down there, demons stayed in their own world, while humans played with populating planets that's underground was already long resided with demons who had shimmered there thousands of years ago. Still, instead of getting angry for their due heritage being taken away, Cole had instructed demons to conquer new planets instead, that were too far for humans for centuries to come. There was no conflict between the two worlds and no other whitelighter or living witch had practical knowledge of how to vanquish a demon. The sisters were long gone, so long ago Leo had wondered if that life that resembled a human's he once shared with them ever happened. There was no point to getting involved with other mortals ever again. Paige he hardly remembered, she died a hero young fighting...who knows what now, Piper followed her half sister about ten years later, Chris didn't have any descendants. Leo had followed the footsteps of Wyatt, his grandsons' and great grandsons', but after that he lost interest even in his family line. His great grandsons were not aware of his existence, they have all married humans and all residual powers were lost to descendants, in a midst of a humankind that had no idea about the demonic world, along with his great grandchildren. If he still had any living relative who counted, that should've been through Phoebe, but he never really had insight into the underworld. He knew, that Phoebe and Cole had five children, and Phoebe was the one from the charmed ones who lived the longest, protected by her love. Their two daughters married demons, making their children demonic enough to potentially live for several centuries long if destiny wanted it so too. Cole's favourite grandson was called Leonard and Leo was his godfather. The boy would probably still be alive, but Leo couldn't be sure. There have been two hundred years since the last time he saw him too. He couldn't even be sure of Cole being alive or if he still held on to the throne, but he doubted there would be peace if he hadn't. With the anniversary of the two hundred years peace treaty coming up, whitelighters discussed spying out the opposition the same way they had suggested when the hundred years anniversary was imminent. Then, he eventually managed to dismiss the idea, but he had doubts about what his decision should be this time. It was best if the two worlds didn't collide in any way and there was no reason to anger the demons by appearing uninvited in the midst of their dominance. It has worked out that way for so long. One the other hand, he wanted to retire from Earth and from Elder's Hall above. And for that to happen, he had to make sure he left everyone safe. Cole he trusted, if his dynasty still ruled, he would trust Phoebe's grandchildren too. But he could not be sure all was as he'd last seen it. Without changing his decision in public, he set out to prove himself right all alone. If somebody had the expertise of hiding in the caverns of the below, it was him. Nobody had to know about his little trip just yet. But he could've known better not to orb into the underworld and expect no consequences at all. He couldn't materialise completely, there was something wrong. The last of his particles to solidify moved to the side, as if being polarised by something, then he felt all of himself being sucked through several caves, holes and passages and stuck to some cold device at the end of his journey. The metallic feel surrounded him and at that moment he was allowed to put himself together and stand on his own feet, but not move away from the hold of the magnetlike instrument.

"Long time no see," a familiar voice greeted him. Cole threw his covers onto the bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Can you get this off me?" Leo hoped for his once friend to still be that. Two hundred years were a long time after all for any living being.

"Certainly," Cole walked over to the table and pressed some buttons that had the desired effect, "it's nothing to do with magic," he explained, "it's all technology," he shrugged, "these new senators have no trust in good old magic. The whole thing wasn't my idea of course," he hugged Leo the same enthusiastic way he once did in purgatory, "they want to know about every eventual possible threat. Clever, but it's not exactly my way."

"Senators?"

"Uhm, yeah. Parliamentary monarchy is what we have now. If I pushed for democracy, I had to accept that too. But I made sure spy central is at my quarters, just for any eventuality..."

"This device...you wanna say demons got suspicious of us up there?"

"I can securely assume that they have quite a lot of other priorities before thinking of conquering what's above ground, such as the magic Olympics right now and discussions over the maximum number of living offspring one is allowed to have. History classes at school teach them it's pointless and dangerous to go to Earth. There always are rebels of course, but my powers didn't diminish one bit since the last time we met and no one dares to really challenge me nowadays. But why you asking? What brings you here? Are there problems?"

"I'm not sure. My own so called radicals wanna take a look at the underworld to see it with their own eyes and make sure you are no threat. Some even doubt you exist. You know these youngsters, eager and curious..."

"I do remember that...long time ago it was. How many times did we bother coming back from the dead? I'm quite sure we wouldn't care these days...anyway, I don't think a delegate coming from your side would make too many waves if it's done properly and some of my demons can go up and visit the Elder's Circle. It's probably best giving them the satisfaction so they stop wondering."

"I agree. In that case...I'll give you some details in a few day's time once the Circle gets the chance to mull over it, as they do...eee...I could orb back freely now? Or there's another device to stop me?"

"Well," Cole frowned, "actually, there is...but it's under my control, so you can leave. If you want...but why not stay for a little while? We didn't have the chance to catch up," he clapped his hands and Leo's favourite beer appeared in the ex whitelighter's hand, "hope you still like it. There are so many things you could get bored of during such a long lifetime."

"Tell me about it...but not the beer, I still like the beer. I haven't drunk it for decades though..." Leo sat down on the sofa that also appeared behind him for his comfort, where Cole followed him to sit next to his old friend, "you certainly are prepared here for every eventuality. I mean the whitelightersafe devices. I don't wanna be the spoiler of any seize fire, but maybe I should advise my followers to come up with something similar. No matter how much longer we have, we can't live forever and keep this unlikely coalition up."

"Don't worry, Leo. You have good witches, right? They have always been your best card. Demons tend to underestimate them too."

"My witches are...I don't know Cole...nothing seems the same anymore."

"That was exactly the point, for why we went along with this double leadership, remember? So everybody forgets the losses on both sides."

"How do you do it?" Leo looked at his ally surprised by his energetic voice, "after so many years, where do you get the drive from to keep on living? Can you still recall life the way it was when we stayed at the Halliwell Manor?"

A smile flashed through Cole's face, "come with me," he touched Leo's hand and shimmered them somewhere. The room was quite dark where they landed, apart from a red light that lit one corner. Next to it, a child was sleeping seemingly perfectly comfortably hanging up mid air horizontally as if she was lying on the most cosy bed, holding her toy horse with a princess on it, "we tried to make her sleep like normal people do, but she levitates up in her sleep anyway, so we gave up," Cole explained, taking a cover and putting it on the form, "let's go. Phoebe sleeps light. I don't wanna wake her up," he transported both of them back to where they came from.

"My god, she looks exactly like our ten year old Phoebe once looked..."

"She is my great granddaughter," Cole said proudly with sparkling eyes.

"She's definitely seems like somebody worth living for..."

"She is also the first to the throne when I go. I need to assure her supremacy."

"First to the throne? Does that mean your grandson Leonard?..."

"Yes. There was an accident with the colonisation of Pluto."

"I see...I'm sorry."

"Let's talk about something else. I don't like thinking of the moment I got the news...what about you? You think there's no more happiness worth waiting for?"

"There's nothing in my life, believe me Cole. I have no immediate family and starting over seems so vain. I don't think I would want to get attached to anyone as I did to Piper. That only happens once in a lifetime."

"But you do have a family Leo, we are your family. Phoebe and me, if you wish to raise her with me."

"How could we do that? The Demon King and President of Whitelighters in close contact? It only worked out so far because nobody could accuse us of treason of any kind."

"I don't know, but I had this idea in my mind for a long while now. What if we went all wrong about it? What if retreating from each other's way is not the answer? What if we had a world where everybody is so interbred there's no difference between humans and demons anymore? We could all be alike Leo. This way we keep up today will always have to fear each other and in my dream we could have peace forever. If we start now, you know, another couple of hundred years down the line and it could all be done?"

tbc


	10. Epilogue

Chapter 10: Epilogue

Leo looked out to the stars from the top level of the tall, old style shaped square building. He didn't recognise most constellations, some didn't even have a name yet. This galaxy called 68 was the furthest dehumkind has ever ventured to, even if most people had the ability to distancetransport themselves in milliseconds, some worlds remained too weird for the hybrid nation of humans and demons that dominated this part of the universe. The planet's location was the reason why Leo and Cole have chosen it as their new home. As their plan seemed to have worked, the ex revolutionaries established a dream world, thinking of how proud Piper and Phoebe would be of them. It was now time for retirement, now that their Ebe, Cole's beautiful and talented great granddaughter and Leo's stepdaughter has assured them she will take care if any problem that could occur in the soothing out the way to a complete democracy between the different subnations of different powers and abilities. Leo made some notes about his idea on how to name some stars on the horizon, then tossed the paper on the bureau and went back under the covers next to the sleeping Cole. The demon felt hot, even if he was customarily naked in bed. Some of his age has been showing on the several times ex leader of the underworld now, but Leo was quite sure he will find a new purpose to live for, even if a once unfeasible dream world has been achieved.

"Come on, I'll make you happy," Cole blinked, surprising Leo and drew him close.

That one, seemed like one of those purposes to live for. For both of them.

The End.


End file.
